Creation Through Destruction: Artifacts of Worldbuilding in Experiential Legacy Games
Name
hawke-jjotto-sm-cms-2022.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
2.44 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
2121babbcb8edb258667a23de74498df
Author(s)
Otto-Hawke, Jay Jaeger
Advisor(s)
Jakobsson, Mikael
Date Issued
May 2022
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
This work draws connections between physically, emotionally, and spiritually powerful media: storytelling, rituals, and games. All three utilize worldbuilding to have a profound impact on our lives and our games. By tracing their entangled evolution over time, it becomes clear that legacy games are one of their more recent forms. Legacy games employ many of the mechanisms of liberation and transformation rituals, setting them apart from similar genres. Legacy games began with a forward-looking goal to subvert the assumptions of traditional games, but many of the recent games labeled “legacy” have strayed from this original ethos. This work returns to the vanguard “legacy game” definition and employs iterative design research to push the boundaries of the game design space. To create meaningful, playful social interactions, the game iterations explore the power of various practices in their mechanics: fire, funeral rites, ancestral connections, generational knowledge, community-building, and more. The unique mechanism of “creation through destruction” emerged as the central tenet of memorable, meaningful legacy games.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing
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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
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